Looking for the Panacea: Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Title: Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Source: Bookworld
Goodreads

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Review by Nara

Reason Number One to Read This Book:
Villain POV.

Reason Number Two to Read This Book:
VILLAIN POV.

Reason Number Three to Read This Book:
Yep, you guessed it. FREAKING VILLAIN POV.

Honestly, if you're a fan of the Lunar Chronicles, you know that Queen Levana is one of the most hateful villains that can be found in YA today. She's evil, she's power hungry and she's completely unforgivable.

Or is she?

Fairest gives you that rare insight into Levana's background, and into the way she processes things. You realise that while she's slightly insane, there are reasons for the things she does.

You feel sympathy for her.

You feel confused about how you feel sympathy for her.

And yet you still feel sympathy for her, despite the terrible acts she's done, despite how freaking detestable she is.

And if that isn't a sign of a good book, I don't know what is.

Plus you get to see what she looks like under that veil. I'm pretty sure you want to know.

Do yourself a favour and grab yourself a copy of Fairest as soon as possible.

You won't regret it.

Incredible

Ratings
Overall: 9/10
Plot: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
World Building: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 3/5

Comments (22)

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jessicadoroughhaluska 58p · 529 weeks ago

You know, generally speaking, I was pretty sure that I'm a reasonably nice person. But after seeing review after review where the reviewer says they had sympathy for Levana, I'm starting to wonder, LOL. B/c I didn't. Not at all. I mean, I acknowledged that some seriously bad things happened to her, and that those things helped to shape her development, but still . . . I'm pretty sure she would have been CRAY anyway. Whatever. You loved it. I loved it. And I'm glad ;) Great review, Nara.
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1 reply · active 528 weeks ago

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narapanacea 99p · 528 weeks ago

You didn't feel bad about how her sister treated her and stuff?
I mean, it definitely doesn't change that I hated her, but you can both feel sorry for and hate someone at the same time, you know?

But yeah, she cray cray. Seriously hope she gets what she deserves in Winter.
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Frannie Pan · 529 weeks ago

I didn't feel all that simpathy for her, because honestly? She hurt so many people and she was selfish and self-centered in everything she did, she kind of brought all of what happened to herself. But I still really liked the story and I cannot wait to read Winter!

1 reply · active 528 weeks ago

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narapanacea 99p · 528 weeks ago

But it was so terrible how she was treated by her sister! I felt really sorry for her when she was younger, but of course as she grew older, she just became more and more twisted, and that's when you feel more hate than sympathy.
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kaylasanchez2 69p · 529 weeks ago

I approve of this message *thumbs up* Just finished it this Tuesday and I read the whole thing in one sitting!
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1 reply · active 528 weeks ago

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narapanacea 99p · 528 weeks ago

It was too short! Especially since there was that preview of Winter at the end (which I didn't even touch...) Previews are too much of a tease lol
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Renee Bookboyfriends · 529 weeks ago

I'm ready for this book! So ready! But uhhh, I guess I'd better read the others first...? (I don't know which order to read them all in!) But I am ready to join the Lunar Chronicles world! (At least I'm pretty sure that's what this spin off's from?)
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1 reply · active 528 weeks ago

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narapanacea 99p · 528 weeks ago

Definitely need to read the others first!!
I reckon read it in publication order: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, then Fairest :)
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caitdrews 124p · 529 weeks ago

I AGREE. Basically just: VILLAIN POV. I secretly think it should be a bigger thing amongst authors to write books (just little ones even!) from their villains' perspective! I hated Levana but I felt sorry for her. Marissa Meyer is master of emotional manipulation/ ;-)

1 reply · active 528 weeks ago

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narapanacea 99p · 528 weeks ago

YESSS VILLAIN POV.
So much emotional manipulation! Strange how you can hate and feel sorry for a character at the same time
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novaxwn 57p · 529 weeks ago

LOVE the rating! DEFINITELY AGREE.

However, I don't really agree with the whole "sympathy" thing. I don't think this is meant to be a tale of redemption, to be honest. On the contrary, I felt further disgusted with her but that only made the villain grow. She came alive and to me, instead of sympathy, I just saw her become more of a monster which is pretty much what I wanted all along for the book.
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1 reply · active 528 weeks ago

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narapanacea 99p · 528 weeks ago

Oh no, it definitely wasn't meant to be a tale of redemption. I don't think that at all.
I 100% still hate Levana. However, there were certain points in the novella where I felt sympathy for her despite all the terrible acts she's done (e.g. all the things her sister does to her). So that's where I was saying I hated her, but also felt sorry for her at the same time- quite an achievement on Marissa Meyer's part!
My recent post Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

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mishmanixon 63p · 528 weeks ago

I love to get an insight about villains.I have a fascination with negative characters who have depth,and it'd great to read their own point of view.
I really want to read this!Hope I can get a copy soon.
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1 reply · active 528 weeks ago

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narapanacea 99p · 528 weeks ago

Definitely hope you get a copy soon! It's such a fantastic novella- really gives you a lot of insight into Levana's background.
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thoughtsbyjoy 98p · 528 weeks ago

I haven't started the series yet....eep! *hangs head in shame* But I got a copy of Fairest and now I'm more inclined to start the series already. Tbh her back story reminds me a lot of the villain in Once Upon a Time...the tv show. Hmm, will have to actually read it to find out I guess :P

1 reply · active 528 weeks ago

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narapanacea 99p · 528 weeks ago

JOY WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE.
The Lunar Chronicles is fabulous :D
I gave up in Season 2 of OUAT so I'm not the best authority on this haha, but there probs are some parallels tbh. They're both about evil queens after all :P
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melanieymr 70p · 528 weeks ago

YAY I'm glad that you enjoyed this one, girl! I don't read a lot of books with a villian POV so I clearly need to get to this one ASAP. Well, after I read Cress, that is xD
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1 reply · active 528 weeks ago

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narapanacea 99p · 528 weeks ago

Villain POV is the best! It's so interesting reading about the motives of those characters :D
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iskultripscans 74p · 528 weeks ago

I already know this book is going to be awesome. We've seen Levana for three books now, and for the first time ever, we'll be getting her POV and I don't know about anyone else, BUT THAT SOUNDS PRETTY FANTASTIC TO ME! I really hope we'll be able to understand how she has become who she has become, and seeing your enthusiasm here, I have no doubt we'll be getting that intimacy soon!
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1 reply · active 528 weeks ago

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narapanacea 99p · 528 weeks ago

I KNOW RIGHT.
We definitely get some of the motives behind why Levana acts the way she does! It's interesting though, because you still hate her after reading the novella (despite also feeling really sympathetic about her situation)
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jeannius88 122p · 528 weeks ago

Really passionate review Nara, I agree this is one of the best villain point of views I've ever read that made me feel really confused!
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1 reply · active 527 weeks ago

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narapanacea 99p · 527 weeks ago

We really need more villain POV books! They're so fascinating to read
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